TORCH WOOD - Equestria
by SONGUE
Summary: Torch Wood, outside the kingdom, beyond the Royal Guard. Fighting for the future, on behalf of Equestria. This new Millennium is when everything changes. And Torch Wood is ready. (ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, follow up to The Idealist 11.7's DOCTOR WHOOVES? story).
1. A word from the Author

Hello, good reader!

If you follow any of my usual stories, you must know I've been writing my own version following up **Andrew Joshua Talon**'s "Vale Decem Equis", a most excellent story – definitely worth checking, trust me.

**Now, this story here is NOT, I repeat, NOT part of what I've been writing.**

Lately, I've been helping other promising writers on this site, and **The Idealist 11.7** is one of them.

His Doctor Whooves? story just ended, and now I'm writing pieces of the Aftermath Arc following it.

My take will be on the Torch Wood stories, his will follow the Doctor's adventures with his new companions.

Now, you should definitely go and read his story first, it will help a lot to understand the context of what I'm writing, so, please, go and read it.

I'll wait.

Meanwhile, I'll be playing MLP, the iPad game, username Songue85.

'… I used to wonder what friendship could mean…'

* * *

Ok, read it already?

Good!

Down here is the retrospective, and it is full of SPOILERS.

Just checking if you read the Doctor Whooves? Story, ok?

So, let's go!

Or, I should say… allons-y!

* * *

WIBBLY-WOBBLY-SPOILERS-WIMEY- WIBBLY-WOBBLY-SPOILERS-WIMEY- WIBBLY-WOBBLY-SPOILERS-WIMEY- WIBBLY-WOBBLY-SPOILERS-WIMEY-

* * *

(For additional fun, I'll read it like the narrator from Dragon Ball Z.)

(You're welcome.)

**_Previously, in Doctor Whooves?_**

_The Doctor, the last of the Time Lords, ends up shifting through dimensions!_

_He ends up in Equestria, and changes shape, matching the pony life forms!_

_He meets and befriends a strange and nice grey Pegasus, Derpy Hooves!_

_Problem, though: the TARDIS, his living ship, needs time to reconfigure itself to the new Universe!_

_In fact, it will take TWO YEARS!_

_The Doctor, using a new name, "Time Turner", makes himself at home in the quaint little town of Ponyville._

_When the deadline of TARDIS is near its completion, a coalition of villains take over the peaceful land of Equestria._

_They are…_

_**THE VILLAINS UNITED!** (copyright still pending)_

_Nightmare Moon!_

_Discord!_

_Queen Chrysalis!_

_The Changeling Army!_

_The Diamond Dogs!_

_With special guests!_

_The Great and Powerful Trixie!_

_And Gilda, the Griffon!_

_In a swift move, the majority of heroes are taken, including the Princesses!_

_It is left in hooves of a group of unknown and mostly not-famous (_read, "background characters"_) to try and rescue the forces of good!_

_In the middle of the battle, love brews! Bonds are forged! Betrayals happen! Players change sides!_

_The villains lose, and Nightmare Moon, Discord and Queen Chrysalis are turned into stone…_

(OR DID THEY?!)

_Even with the eventual help from the TARDIS, the following battle is brutal and takes it toll!_

_Time Turner is a casualty, along with the disappearance of two important pegasi, the grey mailmare, Derpy Hooves, and the Captain of the Wonderbolts and cousin of Soarin', Spitfire._

_The Doctor has a new body and two companions, and they are gone into time and space, an unresolved love triangle promising to shake up the foundations of all they know!_

_Trixie becomes a hero of sorts and leaves to Ponyville, her future uncertain!_

_Gilda is a wanted criminal, running from the authorities._

_Discord is sharing a bed with Celestia!_

_You read it right, not making this up!_

_What is going to happen with Equestria now?!_


	2. Everything Changes - Part 1

_**I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Hasbro does.**_

_**I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood. BBC does.**_

_**I do not own this character's background. The Idealist 11.7 does. I just borrow from him, with permission.**_

* * *

"Heh", Gilda laughed to herself, finishing her tenth jug of apple cider.

('_Or was it twentieth? Did it really matter?'_)

"Say, Miss...", asked the mustachioed unicorn, "I reckon it's none of our business, but you seem...", but one look from the griffon quieted him instantly.

He looked at his brother for support, but none was given.

A few more golden coins and another jug was served, that was the unspoken deal between them, bartender and customer, and Flam would not bother Gilda for fear of losing a customer - such a rare occurrence these days - or possibly a limb.

"Let me tell you guys one thing. You look at me and what you see? Tough girl, knows how to break muzzles and wings, sky-wise and cloud-cred. I should be on top of my game, right?", another sip. "Wrong. I blew it. Again. And again. And again."

Two more bits. Another jug.

('_It's not even that good cider, if you ask me_', she thought to herself, or maybe she asked it out loud).

"I once was liked by many, then I lost my friend, the one that mattered, see?"

She drank in a slower pace now. Her head feathers were disheveled, a mess on the top of her face.

"I had power in my claws. Took the chance, joined a tougher crowd, got my own town to rule, every-_stinkin_-pony had to obey me", and she hit the counter at each word. "And they looked at me with fear and hate, and that's fine, I was used to it!"

The wooden jug slammed on the makeshift counter, set on the side of the road to Manehattan.

"But she... **she** stared at me wrong. No fear. No anger. Not even cockiness, and she is SO cocky, you would not believe it. No, g_irl_ was pitying me. Ain't that special?"

If Flim or Flam had any answer, they surely kept it to themselves.

Gilda's eyes were bloodshot.

"Ain't that special?", she repeated more to herself, her head feeling many times heavier than ever.

* * *

When she came to, she was lying down on what appeared to be a cozy bed, not something shabby, like some roadside pony hotel.

It was a room of stone-walls, very narrow windows. It was not a cell, definitely, but there was no sense of luxury in it.

'Great, I get passed out drunk, and now I'm in a strange bedroom... next thing, you'd be telling me I'd hooked up with somepony...'

But there was nobody else in the room, or any sign of ever had been.

(And Gilda was **_VERY _**thankful for that...)

Half an hour later, after some cold showering to cure the growing mother of all headaches, Gilda exited her room, only to find somepony else waiting for her.

Actually, some ponies.

They were dressed in dark indigo armor - and looked tough. Their wings were as bats, not a single feather like hers and pegasi's.

And they carried spears too.

"You will follow us", was their only command.

Gilda was not in the mood to pick fights, or in any shape to win any, for that matter.

The trio walked down the corridor, and the griffon recognized the stone walls. It was darker, but she could tell that this was inside Canterlot's castle, though, from the looks of it, this was the dungeon part of the castle now, or, she suspected, maybe the Royal Guards living quarters.

'_What the hay is going on?_', she wondered.

She was taken to a room in complete darkness, and there she was left, for what appeared to be ages.

'_This is it_', Gilda thought. '_Silly me, of course they would arrest me and take me to the castle. I am a criminal. I helped the bad guys, did I not? I'm the only one not turned into a garden ornament, so they still have to complete the whole set._'

The door opened, shining new light into the room. And 'shining' was correct , for the white unicorn who opened the door and started igniting the torches inside with magic was none other than...

"We meet again, Shining Armor", Gilda spoke, now aware of who was going to be her 'executioner'.

He remained quiet, finishing his task.

"Cut that out, will you? I'm in no shape for all of this, if you have to do it, just **do it**, and get it over with..."

The unicorn took a glance at her, then came closer.

"My work here is not for you, Gilda. I'm just an escort", he told her.

Gilda was about to ask him what he meant, when somepony else came inside the the room.

Somepony much more frightening.

Quickly and respectfully, Gilda bowed her head, for the Moon Princess had just entered the room.

"Gilda, the Griffon."

Her voice was not booming, but cold and soft. Gilda shivered.

"You committed crimes against Equestria, from Cloudsdale to Canterlot."

The allicorn took a step forward. Gilda unconsciously took a step back.

"Your thirst for power helped bring forth an evil power that could have engulfed the world into chaos."

Was the griffon's imagination, or was Luna's eyes growing darker?

"Your selfishness injured many ponies and could have hurt unaccountably more..."

And her horn started glowing now.

'**_This _**_is it_', Gilda prepared herself for the punishment.

She just wished she could have spoken with Rainbow Dash one more time.

She really wanted to tell her she was sor...

"... and I relate with you for that."

'Huh?!', Gilda thought.

* * *

"Huh?!", Gilda spoke.

Princess Luna sat on the floor, in front of the griffon. Gilda thought that, now, Luna looked a little smaller than before.

"Nightmare Moon", she quietly said. "Even though she managed to become an independent being and got turned into stone, it still won't change the fact that it was We who gave birth to her. We were her. We envied our sister and the fact ponies needed her days to work, and our nights to sleep. But We lied to her, and told her I was fine. That was our lack of Honesty. She accepted our lies and celebrated with us, with her Laughter. We wanted our nights to be as important to everypony as her days were, without realizing they already were. That was our lack of Generosity. She tried to console us, with her Kindness. Finally, We betrayed her, refusing to lower our moon... and that was our lack of Loyalty. And so, left with no other choice, our sister was forced to stop us, with her Magic. And it was then and there that we lost connection to the Elements. All because of me."

Gilda shifted uncomfortable. '_What is the purpose of all of this?_', she wondered.

"My sister gave us a task, to study about the centuries We've been gone. And We have learned something, something very important. The world... is changing. In barely two years, there were more threats to Equestria than in the previous thousand years. My sister keeps the light of the day, and We are the brightest beacon at night time. But even our lights combined can't reach everywhere and everypony. There are new dangers and old threats, lurking in the darkest corners of the world, even inside our land. And now, with the arrival of this... _Time Turner_, We foresee many new perils brewing in the future, and We would be very mistaken if some of them are not from this planet altogether."

Shining Armour made a quick change in stance, his eyes looking at the side, as if he was starting to figure out something.

"So, the world needs to be protected. It needs those to watch over it, to guard its peace of body and peace of mind. We, the Princesses, carry the light that repels darkness, but, wherever We both can't reach, We'll need special ponies - no, special beings", she said, eyeing Gilda, "that can carry light into the shadows. That's why We've been selecting very special individuals, such as yourself, Gilda. They will be the shadow that protects the kingdom. The roots, buried away from the light, that will support the tree that basks under the sun."

"Hold your ponies, Your Highness. Let me get this straight: you want me to work as, what, some kind of spy?"

"Who else? When the time came, after so many mistakes, what did you do? You tried to hit Nightmare Moon. Why?"

"I... was angry. I got mad at her, that's all."

"Really.", Luna's tone was condescending. "At Nightmare Moon, a being who was essentially a God. You were angry... at her... just because of an insult?"

The allicorn gave a warm smile, placing a hoof on her feathered chest.

"Or maybe you were angry at yourself, Gilda. We trust both my niece and her husband, and they told me how, at the moment you were protected by their power, they could perceive your true feelings."

Shining Armour just nodded, staring straight at Gilda.

"The _shame_. The _regret_. The _hate _you have for yourself. All those things that We also felt, the moment We got cleansed by the power of the Elements of Harmony. All We want to give you is a chance to make it right. Not punishment - redemption. Do you want it, Gilda, the Griffon? To atone for your crimes, can you serve us, in secret, dwelling inside the darkness, carrying our flame? To be the Protector instead of the Aggressor?"

Luna took a burning torch from the wall and offered it to the griffon.

"To be one of those that will carry the shining _flame of Harmony_, Gilda, the Griffon, will you become our **_torch wood_**?"


	3. Everything Changes - Part 2

_**I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Hasbro does.**_

_**I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood. BBC does.**_

_**I do not own this character's background. The Idealist 11.7 does. I just borrow from him, with permission.**_

* * *

"No."

"No?"

"Absolutely. **No**."

Trixie let her tea cup lay on the table, the last of the steam still coming out of it. Gilda, on her side, was trying NOT to smash the fragile cup with her claw.

Griffon were clearly not made for sophisticated ceramic tea sets.

"Look, Gilly, we had our... '_fun_', but this is way beyond my head. You can just take your job offer and..."

"You called **_that_** just '_fun_'?", Gilda said, a claw on her chest in mock-shock. "I'm offended, it meant so much more to me...", Gilda replied with a grin in her beak.

Trixie blushed a little. "Oh, you know it was just that once, and I was drunk too. Never again."

"Come on, Trix, I've met a lot of girls, but none can pull it off the way you do... not even Rainbow Dash could come **_any closer_**. I bet you did it with Twilight, already!"

"What, Twilight? No, no, no, no...", Trixie denied strongly. "At least, not yet.", she practically murmured the last words, blushing heavily.

"Oh!", the smile Gilda gave was much more naughty now. "Now you have GOT to ask me to join you girls when you do it!"

"What! Gilda, you... you! Never!", Trixie practically screamed, hitting her hooves on her tea table.

"Oh, come on, Trix", Gilda took a last sip of tea. "With **_karaoke_**, it's always '_the more, the merrier_', you know that!"

"No, my days of drunken singer are over and that's final!", the blue unicorn punctuated, returning to her seat. "More tea?"

"Er... no, thanks", Gilda told her, leaving her teacup on the tray, Trixie already magically pouring herself some more tea, with three lumps of sugar. "But, back to the point, we need you, Trix. I need you."

"Look, Gilda", she said, 'threatening' the griffon with her teaspoon. "I quit. Forever. No more '**The Great and Powerful**', I've decided to stay here at Ponyville, make an honest life as an honest mare."

"And if things were fair, that's what I was going to do to.", Gilda said, but after Trixie's raised eyebrow, she added: "Eventually. After getting passed out drunk a few times."

Trixie laughed this time, joined by Gilda as well.

* * *

_They had met a long time ago, when Trixie was trying to get some of her fame back in distant places, like the Griffon lands._

_At a junction stop for her train, she went to a bar, tried to hustle some ponies out of their cash, when there was some dispute on the corner. Apparently, a group of griffon broncos were picking on a female griffon over something, which Trixie had not been interested in the slightest, but things got out of hoof - or claw, in the case - and the girl was casually telling the 'machos' to back off..._

_... by tossing one the friskiest of them across the room._

_The bar fight ensuing had been one of the most memorable in the unicorn's life. She had seen ponies fighting before - especially a group of fans a little too excited over her presentation - and she had already been in a couple of fights too - but nothing worthy of telling as The Great and Powerful Trixie._

_Let's just say there is a colt out there who will never call any mares by improper names ever again._

_Or will ever sit down without aching for the rest of his life either._

_Back on the fight, Trixie could see that the griffon was not only tough, she was extraordinarily swift and violent. She could fight the world, and she would not go down without taking down with her as many as she could._

_And Trixie liked that kind of attitude._

_One of the males got a lucky shot and hit her on the back with a chair, but could not celebrate the cheap blow, after getting ran over by a series of root beer barrels being magically tossed by the show-mare._

_"Did not ask for any back up, runt!", the female growled, her back towering against the unicorn's capped back._

_"Who said anything about help? The Great and Powerful Trixie is going to deal with this ruffians all by herself!", she boasted, her horn flaring with magic. Truth be told, any other time, she would gladly just 'poof' away from the ruckus, but, ever since that Ponyville fiasco, she had been eager to relieve her stress._

_Gilda smirked and presented her claws. "Sorry, pipsqueak, you will only get my 'sloppy seconds'!"_

* * *

"'Torch Wood' is an honest job, though", Gilda continued. "And it beats jail, any time."

"Princess Luna is wrong, you know that. She just wants to use our bad fame to work as spies.", Trixie said, going through her stuff.

Her bandwagon was not very big for a pony, and having a griffon guest surely made it feel small, but she wasn't rich enough to afford a house any time soon.

(A very friendly unicorn had already invited her to stay at the guest room at her library, however, Trixie politely declined the invitation, not one to rush things.)

"But if not us, who else could do it? The Princesses? The Elements' fillies? I can not do it alone. I need someone I can trust by my side."

"I'm not sure, Gilly. After the whole Villains-United thing, risking our lives again..."

"Trix, if things get too heated, we back off and disappear from the scene, we ARE famous for that, you know."

Trixie nodded, remembering her not-so-glorious runaway from Ponyville.

"How did we manage to make so many bad choices in life, Gilda?", the unicorn caressed an old hat on the shelf, the same one she wore on the Fiasco. "Honestly. I used to be such an egomaniac jerk, and you... well."

"The words you're looking for cannot be said by any respectful pony", Gilda shook her eyebrows, jokingly. "Don't worry. I know the feeling. But I've been seeing someone lately, who's helping me how to deal with this."

"Oh?", that perked Trixie's interests right up, as she was hanging her cape. "Who's the lucky..."

"**Shining Armor.**"

Trixie got so startled by hearing that particular name that she made a hole in her starry cape, sticking it through the coat hanger.

"WHAT?! But-but-but... you are a... and he's a... he... and he's married!", Trixie stuttered, blushing.

"Ha!", Gilda laughed, pointing at her old acquaintance. "Not like THAT, you foal! He and I have been having some talks, lately. Dude is a nice guy, if only a little too good for his own sake. The fact is, he is a nice fellow. He gets what I have gone through, and you too, I suppose."

"How?", Trixie asked. She had heard about him, even before she had learned that he was his former-archenemy's older brother. Shining Armor, star pupil at the Royal Guard Academy, war-hero, medals of honor and bravery, both skilled in fighting and magic, a brilliant strategist and, Trixie had to admit, a darn-good-looking stallion.

Not that she'd have **_any _**interest in him, of course.

Gilda only smiled in return. "Come along with us and you'll find out."


	4. Mission One - Part 1

_**I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Hasbro does.**_

_**I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood. BBC does.**_

_**I do not own this character's background. The Idealist 11.7 does. I just borrow from him, with permission.**_

* * *

Neighpal.

Mountainside.

Early evening.

The cold wind blew relentless, making the harsh landscape even fiercer and dangerous than ever. The road to the other side was not without its perils, so only the most courageous - or ill-wised - travelers chose to take it.

An iron wagon, pulled by two massive griffons, ventured on such place without any sign of being affected by such conditions.

A third griffon stood on top of it, as the leader of the band. He had black feathers all over his body, with a crown of white plumes that showed his age, and a scar in his beak, that showed his experience.

His name was Galeford, and he had a reputation, as the best bounty hunter of the whole Land of the Griffons.

"_Glargh_, boys!", he cursed, keeping his 'employees' on their toes. "You are pulling like ponies today, I want to get to the Neighpalese authorities before the night is over, lazy-feathers!"

His voice, like a burning whip, did the job, and the griffons doubled their efforts to face both wind and rocky road.

"THIS IS NOT FAIR!", screamed a female voice from inside the wagon. "GALEFORD!"

'_Looks like the special guest has awaken_', he thought to himself.

Galeford made a quick air-spin - a surprising feat, given his age - and landed almost perched on the backdoor's window.

"Quiet, you!", he roared back, annoyed. "All of you!"

A couple of ponies and goats twitched in the dark, but one individual refused to quiet down.

"What's the idea?! I'm not a criminal, Galeford!"

"Oh, yes, you are. Yes, you are, **_Gilda_**", he replied to the smaller female, clawcuffed and wingcuffed, wondering if he should have also gagged her beak. "You are a criminal, according to this..."

He pulled out a parchment from his left wing's bushy feathers.

"_Wanted: Gilda the Griffon, for crimes against the sovereign Kingdom of Equestria and its people_ ", he recited, in a mocking tone. "They even got quite a nice picture of you, see?"

"But you can't do this to me! I'm a griffon, just like you! You even know my father and...!"

"Family and business do not mix up, _tyke_."

"WHY, YOU!", Gilda moved fast, trying to grab the older griffon, but tripped on her on paws, as her clawcuffs were also chained to the floor.

"Temper, temper, Gilda, that's why you were never a good hunter in the first place. And not a good prey, either" he added. "What? You thought you could slip away from the fight, probably find some hole to hide back at the homeland? **Wrong**. Not with a reward _this good_", he pointed with a claw at the bottom of the parchment, quickly rolling it back and hiding it away. "**Now, shut up**!"

He climbed back over the wagon, but stopped, turned around and said something else. "Oh, and by the way... you hit _like a pony_."

* * *

_Gilda had barely had a chance to taste her pint of hot mead when she caught the movement of the other travelers staying at the mountain tavern._

_She looked at the entrance, where the gray goat who ran the place was getting some coins from a cloaked guy, while pointing on her direction._

_She tried to run away, through the kitchen, but there were already cloaked thugs waiting for her, blocking her escape. Big, cloaked thugs._

_She could see under the hood of the nearest one some dirty feathers and a pointy white beak._

_Next, she leaped over some tables, spilling some drinks and knocking over plates. She was aiming for the window, her obvious intention was trying to smash through the tavern's window, and try her chances outside. There was a blizzard raging, but she had been one of the best at Flight Academy. She had more than a good chance f flying away..._

_... except her tail was caught by a very strong claw, pulling her back and straight to a wall. She was quick on her reflexes, bouncing back and punching her captor with all the impulse gained from kicking off the wall._

_His captor's hood fell off, and that's when she saw the black scarred beak and the black and white feathered head of her opponent._

_"**You**!", she said, but he was faster than she could expect and punched her on the stomach._

_Gilda was out cold._

* * *

The wagon started to slow down.

"Boss! BOSS!", the massive griffon on the right called.

"WHAT?!", the older griffon yelled back.

"The road, Boss!"

"Look!"

Galeford heard his 'employees' and tried to make out what was going on ahead.

The wind slowed to a halt for the briefest moment, and Galeford saw the tons of rocks and snow that blocked their path.

Galeford spoke a quiet curse, followed by a less quiet "_glargh_!" sound.

"We can't cross that, Boss!", spoke the right griffon, called Gizzard.

"No, really? What gave you the hint, smart-beak!", Galeford berated, already on the ground and assessing the situation.

The storm would be not be subsiding for long, and they could all lose their lives with the freezing blizzard or by a sudden avalanche.

But they could not leave that many captured prisoner behind. Too much money on stake. Especially Gilda.

He mentally scolded himself for being too greedy and going up to Neighpal just to capture her, but that was quite a prospect of a reward, the price on her head meant there would be any number of hunters on her tail in no time. He could not miss the opportunity.

They needed to find a shelter. Luckily, Galeford knew enough of the region to know they were just a couple hours away from the best - well, the least dangerous place around these mountains.

"Change of plans, boys!", he yelled to his subordinates, quickly jumping on top of the wagon. "Let's go to the **_Tiger's Nest_**!"

* * *

Gilda sat back on her place, those around her suddenly deciding they did not want to look her in the eyes.

Gilda put her claws over her face, hiding a smile.

'_Tiger's Nest_', she thought to herself. '_Just as planned_'.

* * *

When the wagon was already out of sight, the rocks started shaking a little.

The mass was enveloped by blue and pink auras, the tons of material were whisked into the air and dropped to the side.

A trio of ponies came from the side that had previously been blocked. The smallest one was donning nothing but a cape and a pointy purple hat, followed by a pink allicorn and a blue maned, white unicorn stallion, who was currently protecting the group from the increasingly cold winds.

"Part One was completed", said Captain Shining Armor, truly impressed.

"Now, it's all up to her, poor dear", Princess Cadance spoke, worried about the griffon.

Trixie fixed her new wizard hat, her eyes fixed on the road, worried about her friend.

"Let's go", Shining took the lead, followed by his companions.


	5. Mission One - Part 2

_**I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Hasbro does.**_

_**I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood. BBC does.**_

_**I do not own this character's background. The Idealist 11.7 does. I just borrow from him, with permission.**_

* * *

_A couple of days earlier..._

"The Mountain Lands of Neighpal", Shining Armor pointed at the map, with his horn. "One of the most secure lands of Equestria. The weather is kept always windy and snowy by the Wingmalayan pegasi, so flying through it is nearly impossible. The roads between the mountains are narrow and dangerous, if you don't have a local Yak guide you could die just as easily, no matter how good your magic may be."

He gave a quick glance at the newly joined unicorn, Trixie Lulamoon, who was sitting at the newly arranged table at Princess Luna's newly refurbished private meeting room.

Gilda was having a little gummy worms snacks on the corner of the table, watched by a slightly disgusted Princess Cadance - since these were not candies, they were _actual_ _worms_ that lived in the gummy trees.

"The crime rate in this area is practically non-existent. Or, should I say, _used to be_", he spoke, a very serious expression. "The Royal Guard has been receiving some strange news, pretty much only rumors, that many, many wanted criminals have been spotted on the region in the last few weeks. There has been a larger number of bounty hunters on the area as well, minotaurs and griffons in the majority, but, without reliable info, this could be just a rumor as well."

"Rumors and rumors pilling up, that is so strange.", Cadance agreed.

"That is not that strange", Trixie interrupted, a little annoyed. "If you wander around any other kingdom, you'll hear rumors about anything, even about Equestria, how we ponies are developing new weapons to use against the other nations."

"That's outrageous!", Cadance bursted.

The griffon, who was licking a claw, questioned her: "Is it really? In this room, we have two ponies who, by themselves, wiped an entire changeling army, including their Queen.", Gilda said, pointing at the allicorn and the stallion. "And what about the Elements of Harmony? They defeated the Dark Goddess and the Lord of Chaos themselves, not once, but twice already. Don't tell me you would not be worried about it, if these things were happening on the land of the griffons, instead? What if the griffons had the Elements of Harmony, instead? Would you be so eager to trust them, Captain?"

Shining Armor took a moment of thought, but his wife answered first: "We would have to **trust** them."

"Trust?", Gilda repeated, surprised.

"Trust is the base for any friendship", the pink allicorn replied, with a smile. "As a diplomat for my aunts, my mission is to create and strengthen the ties between nations and peoples. Ponies were just as war-like among themselves, thousands of years ago. The **Fire of Friendship** turned them into one strong, and **peaceful** nation, **Equestria**."

"But the fact that we have two allicorn goddesses rulers who raise the Sun and the Moon on a daily basis helps things a lot as well", Trixie snarled. "Nobody messes with the people with the bigger sticks, just go to the gardens and ask Nightmare Moon, Discord or Chrysalis."

Shining Armor rubbed his closed eyes with his hooves. '_Celestia help me, this whole Torch Wood idea is going to fail **at the first meeting**?!_', he wondered.

"Back to the point, **ladies**", he interrupted them, his wife giving him '_the glare_'. "The reason for this meeting, however, is something even more troublesome. If the rumors **ARE** correct, then the bandits are gathering at these mountains, more specifically, at..."

Shining Armor's white horn was touching a small sign on the map, on the top of one of the highest mountains, but Gilda spoke before him.

"**Tiger's Nest**."

Trixie looked confused, Cadance looked very surprised.

The griffon continued. "Yeah, I got word from some underworld ponies, talking about that being a safe haven for anyone with troubles with the law, smugglers, bounty hunters, wanted criminals, escaped convicts."

"**Impossible**!"

Cadance's voice rang loud in the room, her color suddenly turned into a paler shade of pink, her expression of undignified surprise.

"Tiger's Nest is a meditation temple that I visited so long ago with Aunt Celestia, _I mean_, **Princess** Celestia. It's a place for peace and quiet, ran by the Yak Monastic Order!", she sobbed. "They are one of the nicest people I've ever met in my life!"

Shining Armor nodded as well, putting a friendly hoof on her shoulder. "Yes, I know, dear. And for all intents and purposes, it still is.", Shining Armor's expression looked hurt, Gilda thought. "Neighpal's _official_ take on the subject is that the Monastery is still a place for spiritual meditation and personal improvement."

"And the _un_official being...?", quickly asked Cadance, already well-versed in the world of politics and the game of words.

"They have their suspicions as well, and they **did** inspect the place a couple of times already, but nothing was found", Shining Armor reported. "It's a delicate situation, though."

"Why is that?", asked Gilda. "Just go there with a Royal platoon..."

"And risk the peace we have with the Yaks?", asked Cadance. "Neighpal's is a major producer of spices and snow. Equestria would suffer a huge economical blow if we tried to intervene without proofs. The national shortage in ice-cream would be unprecedented!"

Shining Armor pointed another spot on the map. "More over, other nations would think that Equestria would be trying to take total control of the Mountains. The Griffons could use this as an excuse to rise their military defenses on the borderlands in response. The yak and goat population in the area could rebel as well, if we raided such a sacred place, and this could end up in bloodshed."

"Forget about **Discord**, we all can turn everything to chaos all by ourselves _just as easily_."

Trixie's words rang too truthfully in the ears of everyone in the room.

"So, what is in for us?", asked Gilda, trying to press the meeting forward.

"Glad you asked", Shining replied, taking a seat next to Cadance. "We are going to find the proofs ourselves. Torch Wood does not exist on paper. _Any paper_. So, if somepony could get inside Tiger's Nest, I mean, some_one_, with no ties to the Equestrian Government, whatsoever, this someone could provide all that the Neighpalese Government needed to request the help of Canterlot."

"Better not be any _pony_, then", Gilda replied, already knowing where this was going.

Shining smiled, and Trixie could see the hint of a brilliant plan on the working, an all too familiar sparkle on his eyes.

"In a few days, Tiger's Nest will receive the unexpected visit of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, of the Royal Family, and her husband, Captain Shining Armor, of the Royal Guard, on an informal vacation. There will be also a formal visit to the Tiger's Nest leader, Guru Gyag."

Cadance nodded, understanding the plan. "I met him decades ago, if he's the same yak as before, he'd be glad to give us total support to investigate the Temple."

"Princess, not meaning to disrespect you", Trixie asked, cautiously, "but what if this Guru Gyag is responsible...?"

"Gyag is one of the most decent beings I ever met in my life", Cadance replied, also very seriously. "He could never be involved in something **so evil**!"

Trixie stared back at the Princess. She thought the allicorn could be a very reasonable pony, but at a times she also acted a little foalish.

Cadance had the life nobles would dream of, living in rich castles and meeting dignitaries and celebrities. She could not possibly know how ponies and other kinds of people could change in the real world, and, unfortunately, it was not always for the best.

Cadance stared at the small unicorn. Trixie, in the Princess' opinion, was a brilliant, but very stubborn mare. Her change of heart really did help everypony overcome the terrible forces of the United Villains, but was before. That was a moment when sides were being chosen, and Trixie saw the err on her ways.

This time, the world was not endangered, only somepony else, some other people she did not have any real ties with. Helping Twilight Sparkle may have settled an old score and shaped her up, but Trixie had yet to show if she truly had what it was needed to help Equestria.

"So...", Trixie backed down from their brief stare contest. "Gilda is supposed to mingle with the scum, while you two go and ask around the monks. What about **me**?"

"Well…", and this time Trixie could see a scary trickster smile on the stallion's face. "… a Canterlot Princess would never travel without her own… maid."

Gilda coughed a worm and started laughing out loud, at the sight of her friend's blushing – though irate – face.

"**Are you kidding me?!**"

The griffon stopped laughing, as soon as the words came out… not only from The Great and Powerful Trixie, but at the same time from Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.

Shining Armor sat down, with one certainty.

'_Yes, it's over **now**._'


	6. Mission One - Part 3

**_I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Hasbro does._**

**_I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood. BBC does._**

**_I do not own this character's background. The Idealist 11.7 does. I just borrow from him, with permission._**

* * *

Princess Cadance and her husband, Shining Armor, trotted slowly through the Monastery's old wooden gates, being welcomed by a group of the elder monks and the Guru himself. They all dressed long robes of red, orange and yellow.

Gyag was a rather tall bovid, but not as tall as the younger yaks. Shining Armor was starting to feel awkward next to so many tall and visibly strong creatures, his natural soldier's – and lover's – instincts starting to take over.

Guru Gyag was at least two heads taller than Shining Armor, walking carefully on his weakened legs. His long fur was dark brown, a contrast to the many dark tones all around but not so much to be considered too unique.

His horns were slightly curved in, but still erect and, surprisingly, sharp and polished. His fur, which was so long it actually carried all the way down to the knees like a skirt, was also really cared for too, and so were his hooves.

Shining could see the wrinkles in the yaks face, but his eyes were the greatest hint. They were calm, serene… and full of relief of seeing them.

"Mi Amore!", he spoke in a gruffy tone.

The allicorn hugged his thick neck, his long face lowered to look her eye to eye. "I prefer Cadance nowadays, great Guru."

"Oh, no need for titles, child!", he laughed and his eyes seemed to shine.

The stallion looked around. The monks were acting… monk-like, he supposed, but a bit disturbed.

'_Maybe they are not used to this kind of informal meeting_', he thought, never dropping his guard.

Cadance presented her husband to the Guru – "A strong fellow, I see, and noble heart, I can feel it!" – followed by her newly hired 'aide'.

"And who are you, little one?", he asked, surprised by the outlandish purple clothes of the blue unicorn.

"Oh, wise Guru, I'm only but a _humble_ unicorn, at my Majesty's service", she said, bowing deeply, until the tip of her horn touched the stone floor.

'_Too much, Trixie_', Shining Armor thought, almost face-hoofing.

"Come on, silly filly, you don't have to be so formal!", the old yak chuckled, and Trixie felt a tad embarrassed by how nice the Guru really was. "Inside this temple, there is no need for such behaviors, for titles are merely illusive names we carry on this life. I'm called Gyag. What is your name, little one?"

Trixie did slightly blush, Shining Armor could see, but she quickly regained her composure. "T-Trixie, sir."

"See, that was much, much better!", he patted her wizard hat with a large round hoof. "A pleasure to meet you, Trixie."

Trixie gave a quick look to the side, and saw Cadance giving her a knowing look, as if she was silently telling the unicorn '_I told you so_'.

One of the yaks by his side, a good deal younger than the Guru, but still older than the others, cleared his throat.

"Oh, yes", said Gyag, who returned to a very serene expression. "This is... who are you again?"

The yak monk made an annoyed expression. "Grun Nien, oh, old one."

"Grun… Nien?", Gyag repeated, in doubt.

"Your assistant?", he asked again.

"Oh, yes. Cadance, this is my assistant. Grun Nien."

The assistant gave a slight head bow, returned by the ponies.

"We're terribly sorry for the mess", he spoke softly, showing around the entrance patio. "We did not know of your coming."

"Oh, please, I am the one who must beg you for you apologies. I have been enjoying my husband's vacation with sightseeing and showing him some of the most wonderful places I've visited as a filly, and, as it was, we were in the vicinity of the Tiger's Nest Temple. I could hardly miss the chance of presenting my husband and my maid this absolute marvel of yak's architecture. I'm sorry if we are intruding, old Master Grun."

Trixie could see the slight shift in behavior of the allicorn. Cadance was a very nice person, a bit headstrong at times, but she could turn specially sweet and polite in a moment's notice.

It was really effective, as the Guru's assistant replied: "Please, do not feel like that, we are all fortunate to have our simple temple in such high consideration from you, Princess", and he bowed, along with many more yaks.

"I… I think… my head…", said the Guru, and Shining saw the doubt in those eyes.

Grun Nien touched the Guru's shoulder, a serious expression. "Yes, Guru, I understand", the assistant said, and with a tap of hoof on the ground, some younger monks came and helped as escorts for the older yak.

"Sleep-time, already? Oh… good. Feeling tired", he murmured and disappeared into one of the corridors.

"I believe… we must meet in my office", he offered, and the ponies trotted along the massive monk.

* * *

"So, how long…?", Cadance asked, sitting in a very colorful pillow.

"Some time now, even before those terrible rumors started", Grun Nien said, preparing an old teapot set on top of a few burning coals. "Yes, we have heard about them. There have been a few investigations already, some we made on our own, but nothing ever came up."

"And the Guru… is sick?", asked Shining Armor, staring at a window, admiring the powerful blizzard that happened in a faraway peak.

"His mind has always been so privileged, you saw it yourselves, but there are moments where he gets… lost in thoughts. We fear his health is rapidly deteriorating."

Cadance bowed her head a little, her eyes a bit teary.

Grun Nien set some cups at his side. "It is not uncommon in our people, and it is not so bearable at the last moments either. It's our duty to keep the Guru… comfortable."

He was about to pour the tea, when Trixie called out, "Here, let me help you…", and her horn glowed.

"No!", Grun Nien severely replied, taking the mare by surprise. "This temple is for meditation. We do not admit the practice of magic or flying at Tiger's Nest. I hope you understand our rules".

"I'm sorry, Master Grun Nien, I completely forgot to mention it to my entourage", she looked at both ponies, apologetic, but her husband suspected she was withholding something. "Magic and wings are seen as easier ways to accomplish tasks. The Yak Monks believe that, to truly hone yourself, you must find the extraordinary in the mundane."

Trixie flinched with the shock, but quickly regained her calm attitude. "Of course, milady. I will help you, Master Nien. With no magic."

* * *

"**_No_ magic?!**", Trixie almost shouted, but managed to control herself.

"Well, nobody said this was going to be an easy task, Trixie", Shining Armor replied, checking the windows to see if they were, indeed, completely alone.

In fact, he too was slightly more annoyed with this new obstacle, seeing it as another trouble on his way of protecting his team.

Cadance was quiet, laying in a straw bed set for her on the guest's room, very simple accommodations with only the minimum to make life acceptable in the harsh conditions.

"How am I supposed to sneak around without my teleportation spell? Or this cold, now you're saying that we cannot even make a simple heating spell?! I'm freezing my flank off..."

"That is bothering me as well."

Cadance's voice interrupted Trixie's complaints and Shining Armor's double-checking the room.

"… my flank?", asked Trixie embarassed, but Cadance shook her head.

"The way he so quickly stopped you, the looks on the monks faces when we arrived. They are acting just like they're supposed to, just a bit off."

Trixie stared at the stallion, who stared back. They had clearly been feeling the same thing.

"The formalities are just a bit more formal, Aunt Celestia taught me about the '_no flying_' and '_no magic_' rules, but they did not enforce it so heavily."

Trixie reminded her: "Well, I kind of **pushed** it at that time."

"And, the last time I was here, I ended up doing _the exact same thing_ you did, but the monks let me pour the tea BEFORE they kindly reminded me about their habits and laws. Aunt even added that the monks only ask to have their choices respected."

Cadance stood up, a bit of flare on her eyes as well.

"I believe it is time to set things in motion", she declared, her horn flaring.


	7. Mission One - Part 4

**_I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Hasbro does._**

**_I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood. BBC does._**

**_I do not own this character's background. The Idealist 11.7 does. I just borrow from him, with permission._**

* * *

**_Oh and this is going to be slightly more mature, ok, folks?  
_**

* * *

Earlier.

The iron wagon was pulled through a rocky patch of the mountain road, a task made even harder by the weather and the temperature, until finally reaching a dead end, the mountain wall extending through the clouds on one side, a cliff on the other, more clouds at its bottom.

Galeford was already down, patting the wall with his claws.

Gizzard and the other white griffon, named Gallan, were completely clueless about their boss' sudden behavior.

Galeford stopped, finally finding what he was looking for. The tip of his claw touched a slit, hidden by the snow. The older griffon brushed off the snow covering it, revealing a cross mark, inflicted on the side of what appeared to be a large rock, a mostly incrusted boulder.

He picked a rock from the ground and pounded the marked rock with it, four times, then waited, then four more times, then waited.

Four times.

Then waited.

Four times.

Waited.

The only noise was the wind, blowing harsh.

Galeford was already starting to lose sensation in his lower extremities, beginning to worry if he had followed the directions correctly… when a sound came in return.

_Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock._

* * *

The griffon smiled, hitting the wall yet four more times, and stepping back.

The large boulder, which previously appeared practically irremovable from the wall, suddenly started rolling forward, revealing the entrance of a dark cave tunnel.

Two large creatures were pushing it, covered in orange and red vests and hoods. They were much larger and bulkier than the large, bulky griffons Galeford had hired to pull the wagon.

The older griffon pulled a small bag out of his right wing's feathers, opened it and reveal a small number of very shiny gems.

"We got '_heads_' with bounties!", Galeford yelled, pointing toward the wagon.

Gizzard and Gallan, unable to understand their boss, just waved when the hooded sentinels looked at their direction.

'_Idiots_', Galeford thought to himself, picking a ruby of generous size from his bag and offering it. "We can pay our stay!", he yelled back.

The closest sentinel, the red hooded one, shook his great head, his massive furry hoof lightly pushing aside the offered stones.

"No charge", the low and powerful voice of the sentinel was clear, even amidst the bad weather.

Galeford smiled, nodding with his head. '_Just like I was told, heh!_', he celebrated to himself.

He made a signal, and his two employees started pulling in the heavy wagon, full of wanted prisoners. The orange hood sentinel was already setting fire on a coal holder, fixed on the tunnel wall.

Gizzard gave a small glance to the side, and could recognize the fur and muzzle from inside this sentinel's hood.

'_Yaks?_', he thought to himself, but quickly stare back to the floor, as he caught sight of his boss eyeing him.

The large sentinels quickly started pulling back the large boulder, covering the secret entrance, letting the snow outside cover any tracks left behind by their guests.

* * *

Gilda was already getting bored of the long travel, the cold not helping at all. She observed some of her fellow prisoners, a varied group of wannabe-criminals, none of them any real menace.

'_Country folks_', Gilda reckoned, as a goat repeatedly whispered to himself "_only a couple cabbages, just for a couple of cabbages!_", over and over, and this was starting to get to her nerves.

They were all shaking from the cold, most of them in gathering around to keep themselves warm. None of them, however, was showing any signs of wanting to help HER get warmer, though.

Gilda knew her 'Uncle' Galeford had a reputation about mistreating his prey. Her clawcuffs and the wing restraints, for example, were not only extra-security he put on her. They served as torture instrument as well. Cold metal against the skin hurt and numbed, and it got so painfully cold in the mountains that even feisty creatures like griffons could be easily subdued.

But Gilda could deal with it.

She had **_Love_** to keep her warm.

Quite literally.

* * *

_The previous morning._

_Pachydermistan._

_Gilda shivered a little when the allicorn's horn touched her chest, a pink aura spreading and dissolving throughout her entire skin._

_The griffon's body started feeling warm and fuzzy, like a million warm bubbles were fizzling inside her stomach, and this made her cheeks blush._

_Gilda was getting euphoric now, barely controlling herself from giggling like some silly cub, embarrassed and nervous, fidgety and anxious._

_"Take it easy, now. It's called '_Lover's Warmth_'", Princess Cadance told her, with a smile. "It's a spell that makes you feel warm, even in the coldest conditions. Seeing where we're going, I think it will work wonders for you!"_

_Gilda nodded, panting from the sudden heat wave she was feeling._

_The four of them were in a hostel room, out of the main roads. Shining Armor made sure their identities were kept deeply undercover._

_Princess Cadance was now talking to Trixie as well, teaching about the spell to the young unicorn, a new spell she had developed on her own in the matter of hours, a talent that reminded her husband of his dear LSBFF, a.K.a. 'Little Sister, Best Friend Forever', Twilight Sparkle._

_"Normally, a simple Heating Spell can stop you from freezing over, and Magic Bubbles work just as fine, but since I can't stay by her side all the time to keep casting such spells, I figured out 'Lover's Warmth', which won't fade away so soon. In fact, if I'm right, Gilda can even stay warm for a whole week!"_

_Trixie was actually taking mental notes, surprised to learn a new spell from the Allicorn of Love herself._

_She had to admit, the Princess was not only powerful, she had the brains to match it._

_'If only she wasn't' – Trixie shook her head, a sound like an alarm bell in her ears. 'Whoa, whoa, whoa! Where did THAT come from?! **Focus**, filly!'_

_"But how can you stop the magic depletion?", she asked, wondering about how could a spell keep such strength for so long, trying to hide a small blush._

_"Dear…", Shining Armor started saying, but Cadance cut him off, excited to see that Trixie actually understood the premises of her spell. She was beginning to see that Trixie, though not Great and Powerful, was pretty knowledgeable herself. "Oh, but I couldn't! The spells I first tried could not hold for more than an hour, so I invented a spell that draws power from the subject itself."_

_"Honey…"_

_"Power from the subject?", asked Trixie, alarmed. "But Gilda is not magical…"_

_"Cadance…"_

_"It draws power from Love!", Cadance explained giggling, taking the unicorn by surprise. "Perfect solution, see? 'Lover's Warmth' uses the individual's own love-power to fuel the spell itself!"_

_"That is brilliant…", Trixie admitted, lost in thoughts about the fundaments of that sort of magic casting._

_"**Mi Amore**!"_

_Shining Armor's call was a little bit harsher, but it succeeded in making both mares pay attention to his call._

_He pointed his hoof to the side, showing that Gilda was now laying on the floor, on fours, her wings stiff-opened, her breath raspy, her face sweaty and extremely blushed._

_With a pleading voice, both desperate and happy, the griffon said in gasps, her tongue showing: "Somepony… do **something**… before I'm not… **responsible**… for my actions…"_

_"Is… she…?", Trixie started asking, making Shining Armor fluster notably._

_"Oh, **my**…", Princess Cadance was flustered as well, her horn glowing in the griffon's direction. "I think… it still needs some adjustments…"_

_"Too much '_warmth_'?", Trixie helped Gilda compose herself back up, really trying not to laugh from her friend._

_"Way too much '_Lover's_', more like it", Shining Armor deadpanned._

* * *

Gilda slightly blushed, from those memories.

'_Some adjustments, my tail!_', she thought to herself, '_And, holy beak, was THAT the best, biggest, hottest, most exciting…_ (she blushed again, thinking about the word) _I've_ _ever had in my entire LIFE!_'

And, Gilda would never admit it – ever – that she actually got angry with the Princess.

Not for the mistake, no.

But for _stopping_ that magic.


	8. Mission One - Part 5

_**I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Hasbro does.**_

_**I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood. BBC does.**_

_**I do not own this character's background. The Idealist 11.7 does. I just borrow from him, with permission.**_

* * *

Tiger's Nest

Underground

Present

Gilda felt the iron wagon come to a halt.

She could hear a lot of noises from the outside, sounds of hooves, claws scrapping the ground, wings beating and swooshing slithering.

'_Looks like I've found the place_', she realized, as those were the sounds of many people, ponies and non-ponies, walking around the cave complex hidden beneath the temple.

There were all sorts of smells the female griffon could recognize. It was the smell of sweat and leather from merchants of Saddle Arabia, spices from Neighpan, spirits from Ursia… she could even smell musk perfumes from her home-land.

And she could also smell the blood.

She felt her chest heat up and a familiar glow rising on her cheeks. That was the signal for Phase 2 being completed. The Princess' team had finally settled in at the Temple above, Cadance just sending her signal through the... love-channel or something of the sort.

Time for Phase 3, as Gilda started cracking her knuckles.

'_Things are going to get ugly, now_', she reckoned, as she started to relax herself.

* * *

"_Our best bet is to get some bounty hunter to recognize Gilda and take her straight to the mountains hideout", Shining Armor said, revising their plan one more time._

_He had to make sure everything worked in perfect, military order._

_A mistake could cost the life of any of their members._

"_We can provide with some obstacle, force them straight to were we want", Trixie added._

"_But, the moment you're inside the enemy's base, if there is one", Cadance alerted, still bothered by the news, "from this point on, we will be too far from you, Gilda. No help to set you free."_

"_Don't worry about this, Princess", Gilda assured her. "Griffons have a few tricks of their own… it won't be pretty, but I can get free. I'll need Trixie's old bag of tricks for this, however."_

_The blue unicorn rose an eyebrow, but her mouth made an 'O' shape. "Oh, I know just the thing… and you're right, that's going to be gross, Gilly."_

_Cadance looked how the two friends nodded to one another and pointedly said: "Whatever it is, I'm sure I don't want to know about it. **At all**."_

* * *

Gilda sat straight, eyes closed.

She took small breaths, her chest feathers suddenly ruffling, her paws stretching and clenching.

'_Come on, you can do it, any __**cub**__ can do it!_', she mentally assured herself.

Her head laid back, her throat shook a bit.

'_Now… the part I hate the most_', she thought to herself, giving short and quiet coughs.

She could feel it coming up now, the slight bump already visible under her throat's skin.

She jerked her head down, spitting a small purple metal object with an un-lady _burp_.

It was a key, the body in the shape of a thin bone, with a wand and crescent moon emblem on one side, a series of strange shapes on the other.

"Hello, little '_pellet_'…", she murmured, picking up Trixie's skeleton key.

* * *

Gallan was bored.

He was claw-picked for this job by the veteran himself, Galeford. Any other griffon would give his left wing for such an opportunity, but then, what?

'_Stay here, watch the wagon_', he told him.

'_Watch the wagon for what?_' In one week, they just captured two dozen criminal that were so cheap it would not amount for what Gallan was paid for month.

'_As a matter of fact, gotta ask Gizzard when are we going to get paid, anyway… and how much is it?_'

At least, now they got someone that really worthy of a lot… and now he was stuck at… whatever this place was, some caves in the mountains…

"Hey."

Gallan stood up, looking at the back. It was that griffon-chick, the pushover, _Glenda_, or something.

"Anyone there?", she asked.

Gallan walked around the wagon and took a look at the small window of the heavy door.

"Yeah, there is. **Me**."

"Hey!", Gilda spoke, still sitting on the bench. "You're that white feathers guy from before, right? At the inn, big guy, tried to grab me?"

Gallan thought for a second.

"Yeah, that was me."

"What's your name, big fellow?"

"Uh… Gallan. Gallan Windback", he answered, straightening up. '_Why does she want to know…_.

"**Gosh**!", she said, in a surprising voice. "You're really big, dude. I'm glad '_Uncle_' Galeford was the one stopping me, sure am!"

Gallan nodded, clearly not understanding the happy tone of her voice.

"I think that's why my Uncle left you here, right?", she asked, looking at him from the unlit compartment.

Gallan looked up, trying to figure out what she meant.

"Oh, that must be it!", he suddenly realized, proud of himself. "No wonder he left with Gizzard, he left me here because I'm the **bigger** one!", even laughing out loud, "Ha!"

"Obviously!", Gilda agreed with him, getting a bit serious now. "Wait, did he leave you, all alone?"

"Yes, he did!", Gallan answered, truthfully.

"All alone?", she asked once more.

"Yes!", he proudly agreed.

"All by yourself", she said, a smirk on her beak.

"Yes. He left me, all by myself, all alone, get it?", Gallan asked, angry.

"Okay, just making sure, _**pretty sure**_, you're alone, pal."

"Good, because I am!", he said, annoyed. He closed the little window, already tired of the female's talk, asking her a final time: "You dumb or something, chick?"

Gallan had no time to react, as the massively **heavy** iron and wood door was propelled out of its hinges and straight toward him, hitting his head and knocking him down.

On the door frame, Gilda stood still, rubbing her knuckles, completely unbound.

"Nope, not dumb – just a **black belt** in whooping flanks, _dumbass_!"

Gilda quickly pushed over the door and picked up the knocked-out griffon. '_Dumb and heavy, just my luck_', she thought, hoisting him over her back and dropping him inside the wagon.

Not missing a beat, she bound his claws and wings with the restraints meant for her, making sure he was as comfortable as they made her feel the entire trip.

She was already leaving when she looked back inside.

All her fellow bounded prisoners were anxious, glad to see a chance to get away.

She quickly jumped off, picking up the door.

"No hard feelings, folks", she said, setting the door back on its place, "but you were just going to delay me. Better luck, next time!"

And she left.


	9. Mission One - Part 6

_**I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Hasbro does.**_

_**I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood. BBC does.**_

_**I do not own this character's background. The Idealist 11.7 does. I just borrow from him, with permission.**_

* * *

Tiger's Nest

Underground

Few minutes later

The griffon felt both scared and at home.

Gilda was now wearing a multi-colored scarf and a floppy brown hat, courtesy of quick thinking, unsuspecting people and light claws. She wrapped the scarf around her head, put the large hat on top, slightly hiding her face, and, as Trixie putted it, started 'mingling with the scum'.

And what a scum this was.

The cave system, a group of joined caves with absurdly high ceilings was filled with smugglers, slavers, bandits of all sorts, including the worst.

There were dozen faces she could recognize in the public, people who were far more dangerous than her, wanted throughout Equestria.

Ripped Jaw, the griffon with his broken beak, was buying weapons from some guy who Gilda could swear was Ridgeback, but that couldn't be, the warthog was currently arrested in an Istanbull Prison. '_Or is he?_', she wondered, seeing other infamous faces, like Abin-Farid, quietly smoking from a hookah, the also supposedly arrested smuggler camel from Marerocco.

All of them were dangerous people, the kind of folks not even Trixie or herself would normally associate with.

And that made Gilda twitch with both fear and excitement.

* * *

Much above her, three silent figures trotted around the temple as night fell.

Trixie, the smallest, was on front, checking to see if the way was clear. Not surprisingly, the temple was quiet and peaceful.

"It's so… weird", Cadance whispered to her husband, who was following from behind. "I have the strangest feeling of…"

"Being watched", Shining Armor concluded, also in a low tone. "Yes, I noticed that as well. It's like we are no long safe in Tiger's Nest."

Trixie rose a hoof. The other ponies stood still.

A monk was walking in their direction, carrying a lamp, his pace calm and relaxed. He passed the corridor where they were, which was adorned with some old statues of yaks in meditative poses, then left, without being aware of the ponies who were hiding at the corner.

And even if he did notice, he would only find a trio of statues standing still.

Some seconds after the monk had left, Trixie started moving, her skin still at the color of the rock she was leaning back.

"That was definitely **not** a Camouflage Spell", she told the unicorn guard, who nodded. "That's a more advanced magic. I could feel myself become a statue, so weird!"

"I've been practicing ever since Princess Luna came to me with the Torch Wood project", Shining shook his mane, his white coat returning to normal. Princess Cadance was focusing her horn at left and right, trying to get a signal from the magical tracker she had put on Gilda. "It's an Altered Perception Spell, I can teach you later", he added.

Trixie thanked him, keeping her ears up to any other incoming monk.

"Something is wrong", Cadance warned them. "The signal is leading here, but there's too much interference. Something, or somepony, is getting in the way of the signal."

"Can you do something about it?", her husband asked.

Cadance nodded. "With you, my love, **we** can", she said, touching her horn against his, feeling her magic rise exponentially. "If there is something certain in this world, it's that _Love_ can overcome anything."

Trixie felt her fur going static. A few small pebbles on the floor started to float, merely a fraction of an inch. The paintings on the walls seemed to naturally revert to their former state. A crack in a statue close in a second, the rock looking polished as new.

It was always so impressive how powerful the Royal Couple could be, when they combined their magic.

"**_Let _Love_ break through the obstacles_…**", Shining Armor murmured, followed by his wife: "_**Let **_**Love**_**repair the connection…**_"

Princess Cadance could feel so much more now, with her husband by her side. She could sense Gilda's Heart now, still filled with darkness and regret, in the middle of many other people, hearts much darker than her friend's.

She could also sense lots of fear, the griffon. Young hearts, so scared. Hearts of...

"Oh, Celestia", she whispered, tears on her eyes, their contact still intact. "What is going on under this temple?!"

* * *

"The best fillies and foals you'll ever see!"

The unicorn announcing the sale was old and menacing, his body full of deep marks for his previous crimes.

Inside the cart he was pushing, a group of young ponies were trembling. Barely of school age, they were chained together, most crying silently, afraid of being punished yet again.

"How about it, lady?", he asked the young griffon whose face was covered by a colorful scarf. He rose a small winged pony, a pink filly, who shook in fear. "You'll never taste meat as tender as pegasus, and the younger the better."

The griffon stood straight, her claw rubbing the filly's chin. "How much?"

"Hundred bits, each", the old unicorn replied, with a grin. Selling stolen orphans had always been a risky, yet highly profitable business.

The griffon turned the scared pony around, as if to check the goods. "It's a bit bruised", she complained.

"Already tenderized for the customer", he corrected her.

She rose the filly to eye level, and the poor creature looked straight into her eyes. The pegasus could see something, hidden beneath the cold eyes.

Sadness.

"Tell you what", she said, putting back the pony. "Keep the whole batch, for now, I'll make contact in a couple of hours. You make a discount for the group", she said, pointing the whole cart, "I'll introduce you to my employers."

The unicorn looked at the griffon, then back at the group of foals and fillies. He was not really expecting much business lately, only the wildest griffons had a taste for pony meat these days, and they paid better than the slaver warthogs.

"Ok", he agreed, the prospect of selling a dozen ponies at once rather tempting. "You have one hour, then, straight to Swineziland, get it?"

"Don't worry, we'll make you an offer you would not **dare** to refuse", she smiled back, promising herself to be the first in line when it came to his punishment.

* * *

"Let me go!", Cadance protested, being hold against the wall by her husband.

"No!", Shining Armor objected, trying not to hurt his wife, who suddenly wanted to wreak chaos through the Temple after sensing so much evil on the lower levels.

"The fillies and foals! You sensed their pain, we have GOT to do something!", she said, her voice getting dangerously higher.

"We can't!", he cut her out, trying to control both her and himself. "Listen to- LISTEN TO ME!"

The unicorn's words were grave, scaring even. Trixie took a step back, Cadance just went quiet, shocked.

"Cadance, dear…", her husband voice grew softly. "You know what's at stake here, Cadance. We cannot get involved. Not yet. Not until Gilda makes the call. We move before that, before we get proof of certainty… look, this whole thing could end badly if an allicorn just suddenly started wrecking havoc in the most sacred temple of Neighpal. Hooves and claws will be pointing everywhere, other countries would demand explanation, Equestrian Government suddenly attacking other nations?", he said, his eyes terrified. "They could even demand you… to be banished!"

Cadance's head went down, resting her face sideways next to Shining Armor's neck. They hugged, absorbed in their own feelings.

"I'm sorry, my love. I… I admit I was acting foalish. Forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive, Cadance. You did nothing wrong, you hear me?", he assured her, brushing her mane.

"Thank you, my love… wait, where's Trixie?"

The unicorn captain quickly remembered their companion and looked around them.

Trixie was gone.


End file.
